ABOUT US
Hire Up Recruiting is an elite recruiting agency that specializes in helping develop Little Learners not only in the classroom, through the identification and recruitment of Early Childhood Education (ECE) professionals, but also on sports fields by finding qualified coaches to help nurture teamwork, build self-confidence and create good sportsmanship skills.
Our team consists of certified teachers who are experts in qualifying ECE administrators, teachers, support staff, and coaches. We recruit nationwide and are ready to support you with your hiring needs.
MEET THE OWNER OF HIRE UP RECRUITING

CRYSTAL JOHNSTON
Being a certified teacher, Crystal is passionate about education and fostering a love of learning in children.
She started Hire Up Recruiting in 2021 after seeing so many Early Childhood Education facilities struggling to find qualified teachers while still trying to operate their schools.
Crystal graduated from St. Lawrence University with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics before returning to college later in her career to become an educator. Now, she leads a team of recruiters who specialize in finding educators for schools across the country.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
Working with Crystal and her team at Hire Up was a wonderful experience from start to finish. From our initial call to determine what our specific wants/needs were in a candidate, to the continuous communication on the progress that was being made, I felt like I was in the best possible hands.
I highly recommend her and the team for any and all of your recruiting needs; you won’t regret the decision!
Katelyn Kretchmer
Regional Manager
We had the pleasure of working with Crystal and her team at HireUp Recruiting for four weeks, and their impact on our hiring process was nothing short of exceptional. Through their dedicated efforts, we successfully hired nine new team members —a result that speaks volumes about their expertise and efficiency.
From the very beginning, Crystal and her team demonstrated outstanding professionalism, responsiveness, and a deep understanding of our hiring needs.
David Alejos Owner & Executive Director
(Continued)
They maintained clear and proactive communication throughout the process, ensuring that we were always aligned and informed. Their ability to source, screen, and present high-quality candidates made our hiring process significantly smoother and more effective. We highly recommend HireUp Recruiting to any organization looking for a reliable, professional, and results-driven recruiting partner.
Thank you, Crystal and team, for your support —we look forward to working together again in the future!
David Alejos Owner & Executive Director
Hire Up was instrumental in our coach recruiting efforts before our BIG fall season!
They shouldered the burden of finding qualified candidates, sent them along to us for scheduled next steps, and we were able to fill our coaching needs like never before! It’s September and by and large we are not scrambling for coaches!
This is a game changer!
Thomas Rockett
Integrator/Director
Crystal and the team at HireUp have always been amazing. We have utilized their services on numerous occasions to fill teacher roles within the ECE space, and they are responsive, professional, and find successful candidates each and every time.
Highly recommend their services for any staffing needs!
Mary Marietta
Chief Human Resources Officer
Crystal owns HireUp Recruiting and has done an excellent job helping us fill positions from everything from Assistant Teacher to Center Director.
I highly recommend other Lightbridge Centers working with HireUp.
Mark Mathias
Owner
HireUp has been such a terrific partner with Brynmor. We have many hires and it was getting to be overwhelming to handle all internally. HireUp knows child care and they know our region.
Thank you for all you are doing to support Brynmor!
Rhian Allvin
CEO of Brynmor Early Education & Preschool and Former CEO of NAEYC
Working with Crystal and the HireUp team has been a welcomed relief when it comes to recruiting and hiring in new markets.
Crystal's experience, knowledge and streamlined process has allowed us to successfully hire and continues to set us up for success.
I cannot recommend Crystal and her team enough!
Jessica DeMott
Regional Manager
We have used Hire Up to help us recruit and hire employee candidates. They do a great job, and we have hired many employees at both of our schools through Crystal's firm.
We will definitely use them again when the need arises.
Bob & Lori Santo
Owners
It was an amazing experience working with Crystal. Her team found candidates quickly, and good quality teachers. I got 25 interviews in three weeks!
Highly recommend to any child care center!
Leah Churchill
Director